Teaching English in Korea (ESL)

Teaching English in a country like South Korea is an endeavor that many people look into for a wide variety of reasons. It represents something different for everybody. One thing is for certain in all cases though. It is getting more and more difficult to find a job by the day.

A tightening economy, an increase in applications, and a global movement to hire more qualified and experienced teachers is becoming the new face of teaching abroad – in any country. Though there is still a wealth of opportunities for the fresh-out-of-school folks in East Asia (China, South Korea, and Japan), many nations around the world are moving away from fresh faces and now look for a weathered resume.

There are many types of schools where ESL education is available. There are opportunities in the public school systems (e.g. EPIK and JET), private academies, and international schools who seek energetic teachers to liven up the classroom and be the source of authentic English speech.

However, if you’re the type to look outside the box, you’ll find that there is a myriad of other English teaching opportunities across many industries. Corporate entities look to increase their employees speaking and writing abilities. The aviation industry looks to ensure universal use of the English language for efficient communications. Companies in “Big Oil” are also involved in ESL, often providing the most lucrative salaries of all ESL instruction jobs.

Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Middle East all look to hire qualified, experienced teachers as they move full strength into English language learning. According to one popular recruitment agency regarding English instruction in the Middle East:

“Educational authorities have decided to shift the language of core subject instruction from Arabic to English.”

What does this all mean? It means that no matter who you are, if you want to travel abroad to teach English there will be an opportunity for you from today into the future. Whether it’s a one year thing, or a long-term endeavor, teaching English abroad is a great way to pursue a career in teaching or to become a world traveler – or BOTH!